


As We Love

by PrincessaKyla



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Abuse, Background Relationships, Dick Grayson and other bat kids in the background, Dubious Consent, F/F, F/M, Fairy Tale Retellings, Girl Saves Girl, Harley Quinn as Rapunzel, J coerces Harley a lot, Joker is a fuckface, Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, SuperBat in the background, TW for severe abuse, brief hospital mentions at the end, house fire, rapunzel - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-28
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2019-05-15 00:23:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14780093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessaKyla/pseuds/PrincessaKyla
Summary: Harleen Quinzel is miserable in her marriage to renowned jokester businessman Jay Quinzel. When she meets Pamela Isley at an ecology conference sponsored by Wayne Enterprises, her entire life turns upside down.A retelling of Rapunzel.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [As We Grow](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12279795) by [butterflyslinky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/butterflyslinky/pseuds/butterflyslinky). 



> This work is part of the Gotham Fairytales series created by user ButterflySlinky. 
> 
> WARNING: This work contains descriptions of severe spousal abuse, including an incidence of dubious consent (not explicit), and a house fire that kills a person. If any of these things are triggering for you PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION.

The evening was going much as planned. Guests outfitted in dazzling finery filled the palatial dining room of Arkham Manor, conversation bubbling forth from everyone’s lips. Harley, seated at the head of the table next to Jay, was engaged in a discussion of the best produces from the various local farms with the young woman next to her, but she was keeping an eye on all of her guests. When it seemed that everyone had finished the current course, she signalled to Rosa, one of the senior maids, to have the next one brought out. 

Waitstaff, hired specially for the evening, removed everyone’s plates before bringing in the star of the evening — beautiful filet mignons, cooked to perfection. For vegetarian guests, a truly delectable soy substitute. Murmured appreciation reached Harley’s ears and she smiled politely as the food was served. 

One guest, however, did not seem to be pleased with the offerings. “Dr. Thompson? I thought surely this course would please your palette. Wouldn’t you like some?” Harley asked, voice congenially concerned.

“Oh I would my dear, but I’m afraid I’m cutting out red meat. Gout you know. Terrible thing, just got diagnosed yesterday!”

“Oh well then we certainly must get you something else to eat,” Harley said worriedly, flagging down Rosa to have her bring out an extra serving of the vegetarian plate. “I guarantee you will not miss the steak at all.”

Jay glanced their direction, mostly to check on the problem and if it was being resolved, before turning his attention back to the discussion of stocks and other such financial matters. He rested a hand on Harley’s knee beneath the table, squeezing uncomfortably tight. It was a warning, a reminder to mind her manners. She shoved down her irritation. She wasn’t a child or an idiot. He’d put her through an insane number of etiquette courses. Surely he knew he could trust her to behave.

His hand stayed right where it was for an uncomfortably long time, Harley feeling her smile start to strain at the edges. It finally left her knee two courses later when dessert arrived and Harley relaxed immensely. As the plates from the course before were removed, Harley stood up.

And almost immediately fell right back into her seat as she tripped on her dress. Few people noticed, but Jay did. She waved off his concern — probably just for show anyway, he knew how to tell when she was hurt — and stood back up, smiling brightly as she tapped a knife against her champagne glass.

“If I may have your attention please, everyone,” she said. She waited for the murmur of conversation to die down and then continued. “I’d like to thank you all for joining us this evening. You’ve made it a lovely anniversary, and an excellent celebration of the expansion of Jay’s company. Most of you know that he and I come from vastly different backgrounds, incredibly different families. But I’d like to think that our marriage is one for the ages. Thank you all for celebrating it with us.”

There was joyous applause as she took her seat and Jay smiled, leaning over to kiss her cheek before standing himself. “A wonderful speech, darling, well worded and to the point. To reiterate Harleen’s thanks, your presence this evening is very much appreciated. We close our evening with a truly marvelous cake, a throwback to the wedding cake many of you enjoyed with us five years ago.” He looked at Harley then, smiling lovingly. “Five years of bliss, hopefully followed by many more!” He kissed her, chastely of course, before sitting again and motioning for the cake to be served.

Dessert was a rather happy course, the dull roar of conversation louder than it had been before. 

With dessert finished, guests began to slowly filter their way out, some staying for an after dinner drink, others needing to bow out, with promises of “next time”. 

After close to three hours, the last guests were finally leaving. Harley talked quietly with Rosa as Jay saw the last of the guests out, softly dismissing her as the guests called out goodbyes. It had been a long day, and her smile was starting to slip, along with her hair pins. She waved brightly as Jay shut the door of the manor behind them. With a sigh, Harley relaxed and reached up to release her hair from its carefully styled pile up on top of her head. 

“I didn’t say you could take it down yet,” Jay said quietly.

“Nobody’s here,” Harley said, feeling confused. “I thought I—“

“Well you thought wrong,” he said, clearly angry. Shoving away from where he was leaning against the door, he crossed the foyer in a few steps, grabbing her arm. “As usual.”

“I’m sorry Jay, I’m sorry,” Harley whispered, terrified.

“Yeah, yeah, you always say you’re sorry but are you ever  _ really _ ? I mean, ya just keep screwin’ up. The hair, tripping on your dress, offering red meat to the guy with gout!”

“I didn’t know! The dietary change happened since I made the menu on Thursday!”

“That’s why you double check!” he said, pulling her towards the stairs. “That’s why you ask if there’s a problem with the meal, not if he would like some. Honestly, it’s like all that etiquette training I got ya was totally wasted!”

Harley shut up then, mad at herself for disappointing him. She didn’t speak again until they reached her room, and he pulled the key from his pocket.

“Please, Jay, please don’t— I’m sorry, I swear I’ll do better, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. Please!”

“You know the rules, Harley,” he said. “Maybe if you’re  _ good _ , I’ll come visit.” Opening the door, he pushed her, none too gently, by the small of her back to get her inside, then slammed the door shut. She could just hear the key in the lock click over the sound of her shame ringing in her ears.

Slowly, she made her way to her dressing table and started to take down her hair, take off her heavy jewelry, the thick makeup. Like all other rooms in the massive manor that was Arkham, her prison was gorgeous, decorated to the nines. Jay had made sure their home would be picture perfect in every way when he bought the old prison to renovate. That brought little comfort to Harley, though, as she did her best not to cry. Her hair finally came completely free and hit the ground, yet another thing Jay controlled tightly.

“You’re a horrible, disappointing wife who deserves this, Harley,” she murmured to herself in the mirror. “Best accept that now.”

 

If there was a way to be more exhausted, Pam had yet to find it. She was sure she ached down into her very bones from a day spent protesting at the latest Star Industries build site. 

“Anyone here?” she called out, to what she expected was an empty office.

“Yep!” Dinah’s voice rang from the kitchen. “Want tea?”

“Oh my god please!”

“Coming up!”

Pleased she had company, Pam sat heavily in her desk chair, looking out over the cramped room for a moment before looking to the massive pile of mail on her desk. Some of it was junk, the same mailers that arrived at every noncommercial address regardless of if it was residential or not. Those got tossed into the recycling bin or composter. There were stacks of various professional journals, which Pam quickly tossed onto the appropriate desks, smiling.

And then….bills. The rent was due, soon, and the electric bill was staring her in the face with a big red “Past due!” stamp on it. With a sigh, she set those aside and came to the very last envelope. It was fancy, made of thick vellum paper instead of the standard flimsier stuff.

“What are you?” Pam murmured, carefully breaking the wax seal — how absurd — and pulling out the contents. She didn’t think she’d ever gasped so loud. In her hands was a gilded, personally addressed invitation to the Wayne Enterprises Ecology Conference, one of the biggest events in the world for those interested in saving the world. Pam had never been able to go — tickets to go as a guest were expensive, and invitations like this to go as a speaker were rare and highly coveted — but she followed coverage of it religiously. If not for her name on the card, in incredibly fancy calligraphy, Pam would have assumed that this invitation had made it into the wrong hands.

As quickly as her excitement rose, however, it diminished even quicker as she realized how impossible attending could be. She would have to go to Gotham, which would cost some money in either a cab or gas, and if she drove she’d have to pay for outlandish city parking. And she’d need a hotel room, as close to the conference as possible, which meant they’d be expensive. And that was before she could even begin to contemplate what she would talk about, if she would have a chance to look for donations afterwards.

It could never happen. But she so wanted to believe it could.

Pamela stared at the invitation in her hands, wondering if she should accept it. As she considered, she twirled it by the corners, watching the gilded edges glitter and tease as they went. The Wayne Enterprises Ecology Conference. It was prestigious shit, and she was flattered. But she wondered, really, if she had the time to go, if she could leave the work.

“Ivy,” Dinah said, coming in with her tea and spying the invitation. She paused. “Is that…?”

Pam nodded. “It is.”

“Please tell me you’re not  _ actually _ considering turning down that invitation.”

“We’re busy, Dinah,” Pam said, lips twitching in amusement at the nickname. Few people called her that anymore. “It’s expensive, and the Birds need me focused and working and—“

“And we need the exposure more,” Dinah said firmly. “The WE Ecology Conference is the biggest in the world. If we can get  _ someone _ there to listen to us and give us some funding, think of the things we could do. Imagine if you could get Bruce Wayne himself to pay us some mind! You _ know _ him, you tutored his kids. If any of us have a shot at getting him to make even a small donation to us, it’s you.”

Pam snorted at that. “I doubt he’ll even be there. He’s too busy being a happy newlywed.”

Dinah chuckled. “His husband was a farmer, so I imagine they’ll be there. Go. We can manage around here for a few days while you go get us some money. Plus you can see Dicky. Been a while.”

Pam looked around at their cramped, run down office, the handmade signs and cheaply printed official literature and sighed. “Fine. I’ll go. And hate every second of it.”

Dinah’s musical laugh filled the room. “Oh you optimist you. Besides,” she said, winking. “Maybe you’ll find a gorgeous woman to bring home.”

“Hah. Hilarious.” As Dinah patted her shoulder and left the room, Pam sighed. If only Dinah’s joke could come true.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pam and Harley meet!

Pam took a deep breath and straightened her skirt as she watched the elevator numbers get lower. The Gotham Hilton was especially nice, and she could see why Wayne would want a conference in his name to happen within its walls. Still, she winced every time she thought of how much her measly two night stay was costing her, even with coupons, a discount site, and connections. Sighing, she resolved to not think about it. This trip was about bringing attention to her baby, her pet project. The Birds of Prey might be sort of a ragtag group of scientists and activists, but it was special to her and they wanted to do some amazing things. They needed money, though, desperately, or they weren’t going to make much headway against some big name polluters like Star Industries.

Exiting the elevator, Pam did her best to blend into the crowd of other attendees. It wasn’t really possible, with her bright red hair, but she could dream. At the check-in table, she got her name tag and a swag bag, full of eco friendly products, like a recycled plastic water bottle and a new phone case made of responsibly sourced rubber. As she riffled through the bag, she felt someone bump past her and she huffed. People were so rude.

“Oh sorry,” said a small voice. “I am so sorry are you okay?”

Pam looked up and nearly had a heart attack. In front of her, looking terrified and apologetic, was a blond angel about half a foot shorter than her if not for the heels she was wearing and the height of her hair, which was piled atop her head, and still had a considerable length dangling free in an intricate braid.

“Miss?” the angel asked and Pam realized she had never answered the angel’s question.

“Oh, oh yes, sorry, I’m fine.”

“Oh, good,” the angel sighed, relaxing a bit, a small smile gracing her face. “Would be just like my clumsy self to bump into someone and hurt them.”

“I doubt you could hurt anyone,” Pam said, sincerely. Offering a hand, she said, “Dr. Pamela Isley, one of the presenters on today’s schedule.”

“Harleen Quinzel,” the angel said, returning Pam’s handshake with a rather dainty one of her own. “My husband is one of the big donors.”

Trying to not let her face show her disappointment at her angel being not only married but apparently straight, Pam smiled. “Oh wonderful. It was wonderful meeting you, Mrs. Quinzel but I must run. I’m due in the green room.”

“Of course! Perhaps I’ll see you after the day’s events.”

“Of course.” With that, Pam hurried away, cursing her own luck. Maybe she was doomed to be alone forever.

She didn’t get much chance to dwell on it though as she entered the green room and was immediately accosted by the lithe figure of Dick Grayson-Wayne. “Pammy!”

“Oof! Hi Dicky,” she chuckled. “God, you got taller somehow!”

“Or you got shorter.”

“Dicky, be nice,” Babs said. With a smile, she gave Pam a hug. “It’s good to see you Pam.”

“Hello, Barbara.”

“Oh come on now Babs, Pammy knows I tease!”

“Indeed I do,” Pam said wryly, smiling. “Oh my goodness it’s good to see you two.”

Bruce Wayne came over then, smiling, his hand tucked in his new husband’s. “Pam, how wonderful to see you,” Bruce said. “We were all excited when we saw you had accepted your invitation, especially since Dicky pushed so hard for us to invite you.”

“I wouldn’t dream of missing it,” Pam said, smiling brightly.

“Oh, this is Clark Kent, my husband,” Bruce said.

“Pleasure,” Pam said, offering a hand.

“All mine,” Clark said, smiling as he shook her hand. “Bruce tells me ya usedta tutor the kids in science?”

Nodding, Pam reached over and tousled Dicky’s hair. “I did indeed. Got Dicky through his biology and chemistry classes, and Babs through physics.”

“Yer a brave woman, then,” Clark said. His grin said he was teasing and Pam almost instantly liked him. Bruce was called away then and Clark kissed his cheek before letting him go open the conference.

“You two are wonderful together,” Pam said softly. “It’s been a while since I saw him this happy.”

“Really?”

She nodded. “Really. It’s nice.”

Clark smiled. “So, what brings you to the conference Pam?”

“I was just starting my doctorate when I was tutoring Dicky, and I mentioned offhandedly a few times that I would really like to start a nonprofit dedicated to conservation and sustainability after finishing my doctorate. My Bachelor’s is in horticulture, but both of my grad degrees were in sustainability, with a focus on how plants and biofuels can help with energy efficiency and lessening reliance on fossil fuels, so I really wanted to start working on spreading that, trying to save the planet really. I guess Dicky remembered that.”

He nodded. “When I saw that the theme was conservation focused, I knew Pam would be perfect. Plus Birds of prey could use some exposure.”

Pam smiled. “Such a sweet kid.”

Before Dicky could respond however, Bruce was announcing him and the conference was under way.

 

Harley tried to regain her composure as she made her way back to Jay. It was doing a lot to clear her head of those green eyes and those lips and those cheekbones….Shaking her head a bit to clear, she spotted where Jay was standing and talking to some other gentlemen and quickly made her way over.

“What took so long, darlin’?” he asked, tone congenial but something hard behind his eyes. 

“There was a considerable line for the ladies’ room,” Harley explained. It was only a tiny lie, one she didn’t even feel bad about. She really had had to wait, but not as long as he would think. 

“Ah. Of course. What can ya do fellas, amiright?” The men standing with him laughed lightly, and Harley smiled.

“My husband the joker,” she said admiringly. He smooched her cheek, wrapping an arm around her waist to lead her into the conference room to take their seats. Harley looked over her program, noting that they would be seeing Dr. Isley present in this first round of speakers. “Oh, Jay, honey, look,” she pointed out. “This one’s going to discuss conservation and sustainability. Perhaps we should invite her ‘round for tea, see if she might have any ideas about ways we can make the house more eco friendly.”

Jay looked at where Harley was pointing to Pam’s name, and considered. “If she gives a good talk, I’ll consider it.” He had barely glanced at the program at all, and his tone told her that he was bored. She did her best to swallow her hurt, although she was fairly certain it was more that he didn’t bother faking any sort of happy front when she did her best to seem happy and in love all the time.

Pam was the third one to speak, and had a nicely put together presentation. She had a fifteen minute block, and she used it rather effectively, moving from an explanation of exactly what her focus in sustainability was to ways people could actively make their homes and lives more eco friendly. Limiting length of showers, using reusable water bottles and brewing coffee in something like a french press instead of a Keurig. Turning off lights and switching to fluorescent bulbs. But beyond the standard tips everyone knew, she had unique thoughts, Harley had never heard before. “Set up rainwater collection,” Pam said. “When appropriately filtered, rain water is useful in just about every aspect of life. But it can be particularly good for an aquatic heating and cooling system, and for caring for plants that are producing food and providing insulation. For that matter, gray water, such as the runoff from a shower or sink, can also be used for those same things. And don’t forget that plants are your friends; they can insulate a house, provide produce, and help filter the air and the soil.” As she wrapped up, Harley glanced at Jay and could see he was impressed. Things looked good for inviting Dr. Isley to tea.

At the lunch break Jay and Harley caught her on her way to the lunch for presenters. “Dr. Isley!” Jay said, a smile in place. “Such an excellent presentation. Jay Quinzel.” He offered her a hand, which she shook. “My wife, Harleen, and I were wondering if you’d do us the pleasure of joining us for tea tomorrow afternoon. We just finished a remodel of our home and were wondering if you might be willing to give us your thoughts on making it more energy efficient, and possibly discuss us making a donation to your organization.”

Clearly shocked, Pam nodded. “Why yes, of course. I would be quite honored. What time and where?”

“Tomorrow at four? And we live in Arkham,” Harley said.

“The old prison?” Pam asked. “Brave souls to take that on.” She smiled brightly and Harley felt her stomach turn a somersault. “I’ll be there. Now if you’ll both excuse me, I have a lunch calling my name.” With that, she was gone, and Harley did her best not to watch her walk away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pam goes to tea. Things are not as she expected.

Harley carefully prepared everything for tea the next day. Rosa, thankfully, was willing to run the errands Harley was not allowed to, heading for some of the specialty stores in town for foods that they did not normally keep on hand. “Miss Harleen,” she said, “I have the gluten free cakes, and the smoked salmon for Mister Jay’s sandwiches.”

“Thank you, Rosa, you are a blessing.”

“Not at all, Miss Harleen. Just like to help keep Mister Jay happy.” Her expression was pointed, judging Jay harshly, and Harley couldn’t do much more than smile and move on. Keeping Jay happy was a complicated thing, stressful. It had lost its appeal years ago.

At 3 pm, she prepared the sitting room for tea, making sure everything was absolutely perfect. When Jay came back from the conference, he gave it a solid inspection. “Well this looks wonderful, darlin’,” he finally approved.

Feeling her shoulders relax, Harley smiled. “Thanks, puddin’. And look. I made your favorite smoked salmon sandwiches.”

Beaming, he kissed her sweetly. “An excellent choice. And you have vegetarian and vegan options for our guest yes?”

“Yes. I went ahead and made almost everything vegan excluding the salmon sandwiches and the raspberry cakes. And then I have some specialty cakes and sandwiches in the kitchen in case she maintains a gluten free diet.”

“Excellent. Excellent. Well she should be here shortly. Let me look you over.” Carefully, she stepped away from him and did a slow turn for him to inspect her. “Change your shoes and you’ll be perfect. Pale pink instead of gray.”

“Yes, Jay.” Harley hurried off to her room to change her shoes. As she made her way across the room, however, she heard the door close and the lock click. “Jay? Jay honey did you come in?” There was no answer and with a sinking feeling in her stomach, she turned to look, finding the door closed and locked. “Jay? Jay what’s going on?”

“Harley, you’re going to stay in there,” Jay said, voice crackling over the intercom. “Don’t wanna risk any….temptation with the good doctor.”

“Jay, I would never cheat on you, you know that,” she said, voice a bit desperate. “You make me so happy and I love you so much! Why would I ever wanna leave you?”

“I just can’t risk it, Harls. You understand. It’s safer this way.” Before Harley could respond, the beep alerting her to the intercom turning off filled the room and she sighed. Ever since he’d found out she was bi, he’d been overly paranoid that she was going to cheat on him with a woman, and she had no doubt he’d noticed her trying not to stare at Dr. Isley the day before despite her best attempts at subtlety. She supposed this was fair. How on earth could he trust her to stay faithful when her eyes wandered like they did?

She sat down at her desk and began writing a letter to her mother. They rarely saw each other, despite being only a couple of hours apart, but Jay insisted that Harley stay in and around Gotham, and her mother hated leaving New York, doing so only for the big holidays like Passover. 

“Dear Momma,” she penned. “I miss you, so much. I can’t wait for the holidays to start so we can visit. I wish life weren’t so busy so that I could come visit you more, but you know how it is. Charity this and social that. I feel like Jay and I never stop moving, trying to balance everything that people want from us! We were so sad to hear about your back injury, and even sadder when it prevented you from coming for our anniversary party, but Jay has promised we’ll do something spectacular when you next come to Gotham. He wants to start trying for a family soon, but my health has been somewhat poor and he worries that having a baby would be too rough on me, especially since that tumble down the stairs a few weeks ago. I swear I’ve only gotten clumsier as I got older, even after all those years of gymnastics! Anyway, the doctor seems to think I should be just fine if I just rest and take it easy, limit my stress, but Jay is just such a loving worrywart. So we’ll see how it goes. I must fly, as I’ve got tea with a sustainability expert Jay wants to consult with about the house, but I thought you’d like a quick update and check in on life, since I know it’s been a few weeks since the last letter. I’ll call soon. Love, Harley.”

With a sigh, she folded the letter up and tucked it into an envelope before addressing it and affixing a stamp neatly. It was a letter mostly full of lies, of course. Harley was too desperate to make her marriage work, and be as happy as her parents had been until her father died, to not show her mother how big of a failure she was as a wife, to tell her anything close to the truth. Because really, her mother would be disappointed to find out Harley had been so awful as to earn Jay’s wrath and get locked away in her room. And she would be even more disappointed to find out that despite her best efforts, Harley just couldn’t get pregnant.

No, her mother did not need to know how big a disappointment her second child was.

Harley simply had to deal with it.

 

Pam looked up at the imposing edifice that was Arkham as she stepped out of the cab that had brought her. It was regal, and currently well maintained although she knew it had once been a crumbling mess. Paying the cabbie, she made her way up the front steps and pulled the bell cord, nearly jumping at the deep, bone vibrating chimes that ensued.

The door was opened by a servant, who ushered her in and took her coat. “Dr. Isley,” Jay said, arms spread and a congenial smile on his face. “So wonderful to see you. Come in, come in. My wife prepared us an excellent tea service.”

“Oh!” Pam was surprised that tea in this household apparently actually meant tea. “How lovely.” She followed him to the sitting room, in awe of the place. “Your home is lovely.”

“Thank you, thank you. I’ve put a lot of blood, sweat, tears and money into making this place a true home again,” he said. “Please, have a seat.”

Pam took a seat, glancing around for Harley. “Will she be joining us? Your wife, I mean.”

“Ah, no. Unfortunately Harleen started to get a migraine and retired to her room to rest. She sends her regards, though.”

“Oh. Unfortunate. I hope she feels better soon.”

“She’ll be back to herself by morning, I assure you,” Jay said. “Now. Earl Grey or green tea?”

Tea was pleasant, if a bit strained. They chatted about Pam’s work for a time, enjoying the tea service. Then the conversation turned to a donation. “Harleen and I would very much like to make a donation to your organization,” Jay said. “I was thinking in the realm of about twenty million, but by all means please name an amount that would be most helpful.”

Pam sputtered and almost dropped her cup and saucer. “I...oh my goodness. Even...even five million would make so much difference, let alone twenty!”

Jay’s smile was bright and wide. “We’re just happy to help. You gave an excellent presentation and research into your organization has reassured me that it is a very worthy recipient of the money.”

“Well we certainly will make good use of the money,” Pam said, smiling. “Thank you so much Mr. Quinzel.”

“Please, call me Jay. Now. Let me show you around the place.”

The tour was quick, efficient, which Pam got the sense was really who Jay was -- he laid on the charm in public but in his own home he was almost abruptly and sharply to the point and utilitarian. As they came back to the sitting room, he glanced at the time and winced. “I hate to cut this extremely pleasant afternoon so short but…”

“Oh it’s perfectly fine. I should be going anyway.” She smiled. “Would you mind terribly if I toured the gardens before leaving? I caught a glimpse of them as I arrived. They look truly spectacular.”

“Oh of course, of course. Take your time in them, enjoy. The roses are Harleen’s babies. If you need anything, Pierre here will assist you. Have a lovely evening, Dr. Isley.” 

Having said goodbye, Pam stepped out the front door and headed into the gardens. As she walked, she overheard a lovely singing voice carrying over the grounds, and, curious, followed it. The rest of the gardens faded into mere background as she followed the gorgeous voice, coming to a stop below a window surrounded by ivy.

Pam snorted. “Of course. The universe just can’t let me live down climbing up ivy covered walls can it?” she muttered. Resolving herself to nothing more than a peek, Ivy began climbing, glad she had worn pants. It didn’t take long, although she managed to tear the hem of her slacks in her haste. Rolling her eyes, she carefully shifted position so that she might peek over the windowsill.

What she saw made her gasp softly. There was her angel, Harleen, singing to herself as she worked over….something. It looked like a letter. Her hair had been released from whatever intricate updo Pam was sure she had had it in earlier, and was instead braided in what looked to be a 6 or 7 strand braid to eat up some length so that instead of hitting the floor, it stopped just short of her ankles. Unconsciously, Pam rose up a little bit higher to look closer, causing her to fumble for footing and before she could stop herself a soft curse word left her mouth, startling Harley and causing her to look up, eyes wide in terror.

“Hi,” Pam said weakly. How on earth was she going to explain this one?

Pam bit her lip, looking at Harley as she tried to process what exactly was happening. “I’ll just um…go now…”

“Wait!” Harley said, distressed. “How did you get up here?”

“I climbed?”

“But what? A ladder, a rope what?”

“The ivy….”

Harley’s face lost all color. “You need to get off of that. It’s not safe!”

“I’m fine,” Pam assured. “I’m just gonna climb down.” Considering for a moment, she said, “You know, you don’t look or sound like you have a migraine like your husband said.”

Instantly, Harley shut down a bit. “I thought I was getting one but it turned out to just be a normal headache. I thought it would be rude to interrupt in the middle of things.”

Before Pam could reply, there was the sound of a knock at the door and Harley panicked. “You have to go, now,” she hissed, frantic. “Go. Please. Now.” Immediately Pam started climbing down, carefully. As she went, she could hear Harley talking to someone she quickly discerned to be Jay. “No, Jay, it’s fine, really, I understand. You have every right to be paranoid. How can you trust me when I can’t even stop myself from looking at women?”

Pam felt her jaw drop, then clench in anger. That was so not okay. It was obvious something wasn’t right here. Finally, reaching the ground, she kept listening, pressing close to the wall so as to be less visible.

“Harley, I should still trust you more,” she heard Jay say.

“No Jay really it’s fi—“ She was cut off by a loud slap, loud enough that Pam flinched.

“Stop arguing with me,” Jay said. “It’s not helping anything.”

Harley’s response was too quiet to make out, but it was obvious she was cowed, and probably crying. Pam frowned. She had no business meddling, this wasn’t her marriage or anyone that she knew well. And the Birds needed Jay’s money. She couldn’t alienate him yet. That didn’t make her less angry, though, and she headed off towards the front drive, resolving to call a cab to meet her at the gates a mile away. She needed a plan.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A friendship begins

Harley was startled by the events of the evening, and as she carefully cared for the bruise on her cheek, she found herself regretting everything in her life up to this point. Clearly, she was an awful wife, and she was sure she would be an awful mother when the time came. The tears started again then and she did her best to see through them. Jay would be even angrier if she let her cheek bruise too badly.

It wasn’t long before she was ready for bed, and as she crawled under her covers, she prayed tomorrow she would be able to do better.

Except when tomorrow came, she wasn’t allowed out of her room. Or the next day, or the one after that. No one came in except Rosa. No one passed through the hallway. For two weeks, Harley had essentially no human contact besides the only friend she had in the manor, who could only do so much. Jay stopped by twice that entire time, once to lecture her when he told her she would be staying put because he was just too angry to put up with her insolence any other way, and the second time to start discussing the plans for his big annual business trip that would be coming up in a few months. The whole time, his voice was clipped and brittle, temper barely in check. When she tried for some sort of affection, he gave her a look that made her feel like dog shit on his nicest Italian leather shoes and snapped at her to stop acting like a slut and listen to him.

She had made him very angry.

But while stuck there for so long, Harley had been surprised to find a head of vibrant red hair poking over her windowsill, followed by the smiling face of Dr. Isley.

“Please,” she’d said upon her first return. “Call me Pam, or Ivy.”

“Ivy?” Harley asked, confused.

That made Pam chuckle. “It’s a nickname from college. I climbed up the wall of ivy outside my girlfriend’s dorm window and snuck into her room. Just sort of stuck.”

Harley blushed at that. “Oh really. Well I’m sure she loved that. She’s a lucky gal to have you.”

“Well, we broke up about two years ago,” Pam said. “She moved to Florida to join a marine biology program.”

“Oh.” Harley felt awkward then. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. We wouldn’t have lasted anyway. Too different.”

“Well she’s an idiot to let you go. Anyone who’d risk their life climbing up ivy to see someone is a keeper in my book.” Pam blushed a brilliant red at that, and Harley smiled. “Anyway. If I’m going to call you Pam or Ivy, you must call me Harley. Or Harls.”

“Harls. I like it.”

Pam came to visit a few more times while Harley was stuck in her room, each time bringing her some sort of treat, usually some sort of pastry. They did so much talking during those visits it was a wonder Harley had any voice left after some of them.

“So you know what I studied at college,” Pam said once. “What did you study? I noticed your diplomas downstairs in the study.”

“I was a dual psych and biology major,” Harley said. “Pre-med track. Took the MCAT and was ready to apply to med schools when I met Jay. He swept me off of my feet and I decided to put things on hold for him. Finished undergrad, applied for a Masters and was set to start when he proposed, so I dropped it and just...never went back.”

“Why not?” Pam seemed confused why she would do such a thing.

“We were really in love, and we wanted a family, but I knew if I went and got into such a busy career we’d have to put it off for a really long time, and he was so...sad at the thought. So I made the decision to wait, have a family first. And now we’ve been trying for five years and...nothing.”

“I’m so sorry. Have you talked to a doctor?”   
“Jay doesn’t like doctors much. Always worried they’re going to try and overstep their bounds.” That sat wrong with Pam but she didn’t push.

Another time, they got onto the topic of their families and where they came from. “Gotham born and raised,” Pam said. “Only child, but my parents were pretty happy with that.”

Harley smiled. “I’m a Brooklyn gal, and I have a big sister. She’s a cop in New York. She and Jay don’t get along though so I don’t see her much.”

That raised millions of red flags for Pam. “Harls, doesn’t that...bother you?”

The tiny blond shrugged, picking at the flakes on her croissant, a coveted piece of contraband in a household where her husband constantly took digs at her weight and her figure. “A little, but I mean, it happens. Hayley really tried, for years. She just...couldn’t. And she kept trying to talk me into leaving Jay, as if our problems weren’t all my fault. So Jay and I agreed that I shouldn’t...shouldn’t talk to her as much.”

The visits didn’t stop when Harley was allowed to get back to running the house and accepting callers either. Pam continued to visit, both illicitly and officially, stopping by for tea once or twice, and coming by at other times to discuss the latest renovations with Jay to ensure that they were being done in an eco friendly manner. It was clear, every time, that Jay was not at all happy with Harley and Pam socializing on those visits, as he often did his best to hurry Harley off to see to some household task like checking with Rosa about that week’s grocery order or asking if she felt alright in a clear hint to fake an illness. But despite all of that, Harley had never been happier. She really liked Pam, and it seemed as if Pam liked her. For once, Harley started to think she might have made a friend.

“Do you ever leave this room?” Pam asked one day when she snuck in during yet another of Harley’s longer internments, seemingly just curious.

Harley tensed. “Of course I do. I just…haven’t really had anywhere to go or much to do lately.” It was a hard and fast deflection, a practiced one that she used often.

“Uh huh. I see. And does it have anything to do with Jay slapping you the evening I came over for tea.”

“You heard that?” Harley asked, crestfallen. Here it came, she thought, Pam would no longer want to be her friend when she found out how terrible a wife Harley was.

“I did. And it pissed me off. No one should ever lay hands on their spouse.”

“Oh but I argued with him, and was just awful. Really I deserved it.”

Pam’s eyes went wide with concern. “Harls….no one deserves to be slapped. Even if you cheated on him you don’t deserve to be slapped!”

Harley almost believed her. Pam resolved to keep visiting.

 

For several months, they kept up this routine of secret meetings, where Pam — who Harley called “Red” — would climb up to Harley’s window and sit and visit for as long as she could. Some days that meant hours, others only mere minutes. They talked and watched movies when they could get away with it, once they even played a game of Monopoly. 

“I win you lose!” Harley crowed, tossing her money in the air.

Pam laughed. “Yeah yeah, laugh it up, Harls. Next time, I’m gonna leave you in the dust!”

“Sure ya are, hun.”

A day or two later, Pam was brushing Harley’s hair before braiding it. “Hey Harls,” she said thoughtfully. “What do you do when I’m not here?”

“I read a lot, watch tv and movies. Write sometimes. But mostly reading. We have a large library.”

“What do you like to read?”

“Romances, adventures. I love fantasy. Jay had to replace my copies of Lord of the Rings.”

“Ooooh solid choices. I really like scifi,” Pam said. “And fantasy, although I read a lot of urban fatnasy.”

“I don’t think I’ve read any urban fantasy. What’s it like?”   
“Oh it’s wonderful,” Pam said. “Witches with iPhones, werewolves who can easily remove excess body hair, sirens who go clubbing. It’s so easy to picture the characters as real, part of our world.”

“That sounds amazing.”

So Pam started bringing by books, anything she thought might interest Harley. And, voracious reader that she was, she always made quick work of them. “You really do read a lot,” Pam observed.

Harley just shrugged. “Not much else to do. What do you do with your free time?”

“Free time?” Pam snorted. “I don’t have very much of that.” She smiled then. “But what little I do have I absolutely love spending with you.” Harley blushed at that, bashful. It was...a new feeling to have someone legitimately enjoy her company. Most people wrote her off as shallow, vapid, and slightly stupid, a blonde ditz of a trophy wife. But not Pam. In what felt like no time at all, they had become incredibly close friends. And, slowly, Harley found herself starting to feel something, something more than friendship. It made her stomach flip flop and her heart stutter, and she found herself wondering what it might be like to let Pam kiss her, if her lips were as soft as they looked. 

It had been an incredibly long time since she kissed anyone besides Jay, and even longer since she last kissed another woman. Not since Selina in college. They’d been brief but had burned hot and left blinded by each other. 

Now, Harley felt a much cooler burn, but one no less strong. It felt….wrong to feel this way about someone else while being married to Jay, but if she was honest with herself, she didn’t really love him anymore. She hadn’t loved him in years. He was rude, and pushy, forceful and demanding and harsh. It was almost impossible to keep him happy no matter how hard she tried and it was slowly making her spiral into empty zombie-hood. She stayed because she was terrified, and because he kept her on such a tight leash, not because she wanted to. Pam was slowly, slowly, starting to convince her it was time to sneak away, file for divorce, and disappear into the abyss.

And now, on the morning Jay was leaving for his big annual business trip, Harley was fairly certain she was right.

Nothing she did was right, despite it being how they did things every year, and he’d yelled, thrown things, and smacked her more than once as she packed his bags for him. Then, when that was over, he still expected her to let him have a quickie before he walked out the door. Him touching her was the absolute last thing she wanted. She felt like trash, and he seemed to have no concept of being gentle or loving. In the end, however, it was easier to give in than to fight and fifteen minutes later, Jay was out the door and Harley was safely tucked back into her room, door locked as usual. If Jay was out of town, Harley was to stay put. She hated it, but what could she do?

 

Pam visited three times over the course of that week. The first was brief, mostly a drop by to deliver a new book that Pam was just certain she would love. “It’s about a girl who discovers she’s an angel, and has to save herself and her family from the demon out to destroy her. She wants to be a doctor one day at first but by the end she decides history is a better fit.” 

Harley had smiled at that. “I’ll always regret not going to med school I think.”

“Maybe you can go back one day.”

The second time Pam stopped by was a longer visit, enough time for them to play two rounds of Mario Party on the state of the art entertainment system Jay had insisted Harley have. “At least he gave me things to do while I’m here,” Harley said. “He doesn’t like me going out or entertaining people while he’s away.”

“Why?”

Harley shrugged. “It’s a toss up between being worried I’ll cheat and being worried I’ll besmirch his name. I’m a horribly classless person, always accidentally offending people, stepping on metaphorical toes with my poor manners.”

Pam was too shocked to do more than blink and Harley laughed. “I’ve spent this entire friendship being worried you’ll find out I’m actually horrible and walk away and never come back,” she said. “And that’s the honest truth.”

“I don’t think I’d be walking away even if you committed murder,” Pam said softly. “You’re one of the best people I know, Harls. And that’s the honest truth.”

That stayed with Harley, even after Pam had left that evening with promises to return the next day. As she brushed her hair, which took close to two hours, she kept thinking it over. The face in the mirror looked back at her, for once not covered in bruises and makeup, and she realized that maybe, just maybe, Pam had been right since the very first time she pointed out that no one deserved to get slapped around by their spouse.

When Pam next came to visit, Harley finally worked up the courage to do what she had been wanting to do for a while.

Cautiously, unsure, Harley dropped a quick, chaste kiss on Pam’s lips. When she pulled away, she noticed the other woman was frozen, stunned. “I’m sorry, I should have asked I—“ she was cut off by Pam’s lips on her own, a much firmer more sure kiss than her own. There were fireworks, and Harley had to grab Pam’s shoulders to steady herself.

When they separated, Pam chuckled. “You okay, Harls?”

Breathless, Harley nodded. “Uh huh.” Her eyes were wide in surprise, and her heart was fluttering.

“Good.” Pam brushed a bit of Harley’s hair back from her face. “I’m glad.”

“Stay tonight,” Harley said suddenly. “Jay’s out of town and won’t be back until Saturday.”

Pam looked at her closely. “Are you sure you want me to stay?” Harley nodded, biting her lip. “Then I’ll stay.”

It was a quiet night, and the bed felt so much less empty with Pam in it to cuddle close to. She was warm, too, and wrapped her arms around Harley to hold her close. Harley got, arguably, the best night’s sleep she’d ever gotten.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit hits the fan

Harley woke the next morning, eyes flying open, scrambling for the bathroom. She just made it to the toilet in time for the contents of her stomach to vacate their residence, not that there was much there. A concerned Pam came and held her hair back as she heaved, coughing and starting to cry. “No no no,” she whispered. “No no no no no no no no no no this can’t be happening.”

“Sweetie?”

“I’m pregnant,” Harley said, immediately starting to sob. “Three weeks late, vomiting. Pregnant.”

Carefully, Pam gathered Harley into her arms, despite the weak protests and pushing. “Sssssssh, sweetie ssssshhh. I got you.” Harley was well and truly crying now, her sobs wracking her small frame as she clung to Pam. “He’s gonna kill me,” she whispered brokenly as she reigned the sobs in. “He’s gonna kill me.”

Pam knew better than to tell her everything was going to be okay. It wasn’t going to be, not if Harley had to raise a baby here. They needed a plan, a good one, and they needed it now.

It took some doing but Pam managed to get Harley calmed down and settled back in bed to rest as she made calls. She needed help.

Her first call was to Dicky. He had resources and she knew she could trust him to be quick, efficient, and secretive. “Hello?”

“Dicky, it’s Pam. I need a favor.”

“Pam! What do you need?”

“Do you know the Quinzels?”

Dick’s voice was a bit hard when he replied. “Yes. What about them?”

“Har– I mean Mrs. Quinzel needs out. She’s pregnant and terrified Dicky. I need help getting her out of here.”

Dicky, to his credit, didn’t ask questions, just immediately started coordinating the things they would need, getting his siblings who he thought would be able to help. “We’ll need transportation,” he said. “Probably Clark’s suburban. That way we have space and ability to transport what we need. Do you think she can walk out or is the shitstain there?”

“He’s got her locked in her room. I don’t know that any of the staff is going to let her out of there. They either have no clue of what’s going on or they’re letting him get away with it and I don’t want to risk them tipping him off. He’s out of town but I don’t know where.”

“Okay. So we need a ladder, and speed, as few people as possible. What about food? Is she being fed?”

“Yes, but right now she’s so sick as to probably not wanting anything.”

“Okay. I’ll get things in order.” Pam left him to that, and then called Dinah.

“Pam, where are you?” Dinah asked. “You never came back last night.”

“I um stayed. Listen, I’m busting her out of here. I’ve got some folks working on helping me get her out. I need you to get my apartment ready to bring her there. We won’t be staying I suspect, but we’ll need a place to go for a few days until we can work out next moves.”

“Pam, this is a big risk to take for a chick you’ve only known a few months.”

“She’s worth it,” Pam said firmly. “If for no other reason than she deserves better than this...asshole she’s married to.”

Dinah sighed. “Okay. Well. I’ll have things ready. Be careful.”

“I will. Thank you.” Turning back to Harley, Pam sighed. This was going to be an adventure.

 

Pam had left before Harley got her breakfast, promising she would be back soon. She was getting Harley out of there. Harley wanted to believe it but her brain was too foggy to do much of anything.It wasn’t Rosa who brought breakfast, or who retrieved it. “Miss, you’ve barely eaten,” the maid said softly.

“I’m feeling very unwell,” Harley said. “It’s fine, just take care of it. I’d like to rest and hopefully be able to eat more at lunch in a few hours. Thank you.” The maid removed the tray, but looked unsure, and Harley prayed she wouldn’t call Jay. The last thing she needed right now, when she was so worn down and so close to leaving was an angry phone call from him that left the servants on alert, or worse him returning home. She tried to sleep, and just kept needing to get up to dry heave over the toilet.

The day got later and she picked at lunch when it was brought to her, again not by Rosa, which worried her. Rosa could be trusted to keep her secrets. Her anxiety rose slowly as she realized that, just maybe, today was Rosa’s day off. That could really wreck all of their plans. It made her stomach turn, and she threw up again. “Fuck,” she whimpered.

“What have I said about curse words Harley?”

The sound of Jay’s voice made her whip her head around in panic, making it spin. Whimpering, she started vomiting again, just able to discern Jay’s sounds of disgust over her own gagging. Moaning, she finally managed to sit back and flush the toilet. “You’re home early,” she said, voice hopefully too weak for him to notice the panic.

“Alice called me because she noticed you weren’t eating and had been throwing up,” he said, sounding displeased.

“I think I caught a bug,” she offered. “I’ll be fine. I would have called if it was that bad. You didn’t need to come home.”

Sighing, he crossed the bathroom and hauled her up by her upper arm roughly, almost dragging her out to the bedroom and throwing her back into the bed. She cried out at how rough he was and he slapped her. “This is an important business trip,” he said, face terrifyingly angry. “And your stupid ass had to go and get sick!” Apologies poured forth from Harley’s lips but Jay was focused on something else. 3 long, bright red strands of hair on Harley’s pillow. “Harleen,” he said, voice dangerously quiet. “Who was here?”

“What?” Her surprise was genuine. She hadn’t noticed the hairs yet.

“I said, who. Was. HERE?” he roared, dragging her back to her feet. “It was that scientist wasn’t it? You have been bringing her here behind my back, into your bed. After all I have done for you, this is the thanks I get?! You ungrateful little whore!!!”

Harley screamed and tried to pull away but his grip was like iron. “SHUT UP!” he roared, slapping her so hard she saw stars. Then, before she could regain her bearings, he was dragging her away, towards the back stairs. She tried to fight back but it was useless. He’d always been stronger and in her weakened state, it was impossible. It was all she could do to stumble after him, to keep on her feet so he wasn’t outright dragging her down the stairs to wherever he was taking her. As they made it through the kitchen, Harley’s terrified eyes met Rosa’s and she tried once again to make a break for it, reaching. Jay’s grip tightened and he pulled harshly. She felt her shoulder pop sickeningly and she screamed. That didn’t stop him.

He kept dragging her, out the back door, across the grounds, getting her soaking wet in the sprinklers, to the most recently renovated out building, the one that used to house the electroshock treatment facilities. Despite her panic, Harley noticed the windows were all gone, and the door was heavy looking. “Jay, please no please please please! I swear nothing happened. She came to visit and some of her hair must have just stuck to me! Please don’t do this please please don’t Jay baby no please please—“

“SHUT. UP.” He tossed her through the door and she stumbled, almost falling, crying more as she caught herself with the now dislocated arm. He came up behind her and pushed her forward, harshly, moving deeper and deeper into the building. At the dead center of things, he made her stop and turn into a small room.

It was barren, except for a bucket of water and an empty one, and a hook on the wall. Jay forced her to the ground under the hook and grabbed hold of her hair, looping it through the hook before tying it into a messy, gnarled knot that she had no hope of undoing. Her nose ran as she cried, still begging him to let her go, but he ignored her and stormed out, leaving her completely and utterly alone.

Immediately, Harley was screaming, cradling her throbbing arm to her chest. Her throat, already raw, protested more abuse but she ignored it. She would take never singing again if it just meant getting out of here alive.

There was a loud boom as the door closed behind Jay a few moments later, and then, much to her terror, the sounds of deep, echoey nothing. She couldn’t even hear the noises of the grounds of the manor. “HEEEEEEELP! SOMEBODY!” Her screaming echoed back to her and she dissolved into tears, holding her arm gingerly, in to much pain to even try and get up.

All she could do was pray Pam could find her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A step into a new life

Pam fidgeted in the passenger seat of the borrowed suburban as they headed towards Arkham that evening, a ladder on top to make it easier, and safer if Pam was honest, for Harley to get down to the ground. They parked on the road, just out of sight, and then made their way up the drive just under the cover of the woods on either side. Pam wasn’t sure if the servants were in on holding Harley captive, or if they simply feared for their own safety and wellbeing if they interfered, but they didn’t want to risk one of them tipping Jay off that Harley had run off.

Safely below Harley’s window, Pam and Dicky extended the ladder and braced it.“We get in, we get out,” Dicky said softly, looking around as they set up the ladder. “I don’t like our chances of avoiding the help if we stick around too long.”

“Of course, kid,” Pam said. Starting up the ladder, she thought about all the things she would need to keep Harley safe, stopping her thoughts only when she was slipping through the window. “Sweetie?” she called softly. “Sweetie where are you?”

“Your pretty bird has flown the coop,” Jay said darkly from the doorway. “And now the cat’s here for you!” He stepped out of the bathroom doorway, looking demented. His hair was a mess, his clothes askew like he’d been in a tussle. A bottle of Jack hung loosely from his fingertips, close to empty. Pam wondered how full it had been when he started.

“Where is she, jackass?”

“Oh ho ho. Names now, huh? How do you think Harley will feel about that?”

“Like you deserve it! Now what the hell did you do to her?”

“Nothing she didn’t deserve.” He took a swig from the bottle and sighed. “What kind of woman cheats on a man who’s been so good to her, huh? Gave her a lovely home, plenty of nice things to wear, pretty things to look at and have. Taught her to be a society lady, a proper one, like she was born to be one rather than just marrying in. And how does she repay me? By cheating? With you? What’s that about huh?”

“Maybe she likes how I don’t treat her like crap,” Pam said angrily. “Or how I don’t give her impossible standards to meet and then get angry and hit her when she falls short.”

Jay laughed brokenly. “Oh so idealistic. What you don’t realize is that Harley’s a failure of a person. Without retribution, she’d never improve, never meet even the lowest standards. She’s a slut and an idiot. And she deserves everything I did to her.”

She lunged at him then, incensed, knocking him off balance. As they fell, his flailing arm caught the table runner across Harley’s dressing table, pulling everything, including a lit candle, off. Pam rolled away instinctively but Jay was too stunned, or just too drunk, to move. The carpet immediately caught, spreading rapidly, filling the air with acrid smoke that stung Pam’s eyes.

Angrily, she grabbed Jay’s shirt, pulling him away from the flames that hadn’t yet caught his clothes. “WHERE IS SHE?”

He laughed, the sound grating and slightly manic. “She’s not in the house I’ll tell you that much,” he wheezed. “But she’s still on the grounds. Have fun finding her!” He pulled away then, landing on a patch of flames, still laughing like mad. A large puff of smoke hit Pam dead in the eyes and she cried out in distress. Her vision was clouded, dark. On instinct, she headed for the window and just managed to make it out and down the ladder. 

“Pam!” Dicky said, sounding terrified. “Pam are you okay?! Where’s Harleen?!”

Pam coughed. “She’s somewhere on the grounds, Dicky. And I’m fine but I can’t see. We have...we have to find her!!”

“We will we will! I promise!!”

The sirens of fire trucks could be heard in the distance, and Pam coughed more. Someone touched her arm. “Miss,” a soft voice said. “Miss, my name is Rosa. I can tell you where to find Miss Harleen.”

“Take me to her, please,” Pam said.

“This way!” Keeping a firm grip on Pam’s arm, Rosa led her away from Dicky, and into the grounds.

 

Harley heard the sirens, and even though her voice was already raw from yelling, she started yelling again, hopeful. A few minutes later, the door banged open, and she heard familiar voices. “RED!! RED I’M HERE!! REEEEED!!”

“HARLS!!” A few minutes later, Pam stumbled into the room, bumping into the door jamb.

“Red, oh god, thank god!!” Harley sobbed with outright relief as Pam came into view. “And Rosa. Oh thank god. Rosa we’re going to have to cut my hair.”

“Oh Miss Harleen not your hair!”

“He’s got it...it’s all knotted,” Harley said helplessly. Rosa helped Pam over to her and Pam sank gratefully to her knees and pulled Harley into her arms. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Pam said, sniffling.

“I….I almost wasn’t. I thought he was gonna kill me.” Harley whimpered, burying her face in Pam’s hair. 

“Sssssshh, he can’t hurt you anymore. He’s gone. Now let’s...let’s get you out of here.” She blinked and groaned. “Fuck. There’s still smoke in my eyes.”

“Wait wait hold on,” Harley said gently. She eased Pam’s head down into her lap and grabbed the bucket of water. Carefully, she cupped water in her hands and poured it over Pam’s eyes to help flush them clear. After a few rounds of that, Pam blinked, and smiled at her. “Thank you. Now let’s get you out of here.”

Rosa ran to find something to cut Harley’s hair and came back with a wicked pair of scissors and a straight razor that glinted dangerously. “I don’t want to know why he has these out here,” she said. “But they’ll get you out.” Carefully, she cut Harley free, trying to cut the hair as evenly as possible. Finally, what felt like a short eternity later, Harley was free and could stand, legs shaking like a newborn colt’s.

“Come on baby,” Pam murmured. “Let’s go get you looked over.” Wrapping an arm around Harley’s waist, they began to slowly make their way out of the building. As they pushed the door open, a pair of medics crested the hill with Dicky running next to them. The medics were immediately checking them both over, one loading Harley onto the stretcher as the other checked Pam’s eyes. “We’ll need to take you both to Gotham Central, just for a checkup, but you look fine,” one of the medics said. “I’m guessing you’ll be riding along with Mrs. Quinzel?”

“Yes.”

The ride was quiet, Harley clinging to Pam’s hand. The male medic drove, leaving Harley and Pam in the capable hands of his female partner until they reached the hospital. There, a flurry of female nurses checked them in, and directed them to an emergency bay to await testing.

Doctors and nurses bustled in and out, each of them gentle and direct. When the first doctor noticed that the insanity of the e.r. was causing Harley to get tense, verging on panic, she immediately did her best to get them moved to an actual room. It took two hours but, eventually, Harley was tucked safely into a bed in a private room, Pam next to her, holding the hand not stuck with an iv. 

A knock at the door made them look up and a female doctor poked her head in. “Mrs. Quinzel, would you be alright seeing Dr. Crane? Normally we wouldn’t ask but he’s the only psychologist on call…”

With a deep breath, Harley nodded. “That’s fine, totally fine.”

Dr. Crane came in a few minutes later, tall and thin and angular, but with a kind smile and a gentle manner as he gave Harley space. “I’m very sorry to intrude on your space right now,” he said. “But I promise to keep this as brief as possible.”

Harley nodded and they got started, first with Harley recounting exactly what had happened that day, and then with broader recounting of her marriage, with questions gently probing into certain answers. “What sort of physical violence did he employ?”

“He dragged me around a lot, pushed me. Hit me.”

“Did he drag you by the arm, the hair?”

“Both.”

“Did he ever push you in ways that might have endangered your life.”

A hesitant nod and then, “....he pushed me down the stairs a year ago.”

Two hours of that sort of thing later, Dr. Crane felt that he had bothered her enough and stood to take his leave. As he turned to leave, he paused and turned back. “Mrs. Quinzel, I’m very very sorry this happened to you. I sincerely hope you’re able to get a fresh start and move forward. An ob/gyn will be around shortly to talk to you about prenatal care and other options.”

“Thanks doc,” Harley said, voice soft. “We appreciate that.”

With a small smile, Dr. Crane stepped out and Harley and Pam were alone once again.

“Pam,” Harley said. “I wanna keep the baby.”

“Then we’ll keep it. Raise them right.”

The look on Harley’s face would have been hilarious if not for the bruises and split lip. “We?”

“Yes, baby. We. If you’ll have me, I’m gonna be right where you are to support you.”

“I think I’d like that, Red. I think I’d like that a lot.”


	7. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A happily ever after

_ 10 months later _

Harley sighed as she balanced the baby carrier with the last few bags of groceries as she headed into the manor. It had finally stopped reeking of smoke and she’d finally managed to get the press to leave her alone. The story had been the talk of the entire tri-state area:

“Jay Quinzel in critical condition after fight with wife’s lover!” 

“Harleen Quinzel revealed to be battered wife of renowned jokester!” 

“Moving on? Harleen Quinzel spotted with mystery woman!”

It was shameful, and she hated it. Her family’s life was private, regardless of what the rest of the world wanted, and she’d refused to talk to anyone but Lois Lane of the Daily Planet. Lois had treated her like a human being, not as some side show spectacle.

“Red? I’m home!” Harley called, walking through the front door and setting the baby down. She was gorgeous, all blonde wispy hair and pudgy hands and cheeks. Harley loved her more than anything. Her therapist assured her that she was right to do so. 

The latest edition of the Planet was on the entry table, a note from Lois taped on with a sticky note. 

“Harleen,” it read. “Thank you for trusting me to tell your story. I hope that finally telling the world the truth helps you move forward in your new life. If you ever have need of anything else, please call. ~Lois Lane.” That made Harley smile, and she looked up, about to call for Pam again when she saw her coming from the kitchens. “There you are! I was wondering if I’d have to come find you!”

“Nope, I’m here, love. I see you saw the paper?”

“I did. I’m sure the article is perfect.”

“It is.” Beaming, Pam bent down and retrieved the baby from her carrier, cooing. “Hi, baby. Hi. Did you have fun with Mommy? I bet you did!”

Seeing them together made Harley smile brilliantly. Her family. God, she loved that thought. Her gorgeous, happy family, all together in this place, putting happy memories into it. There were still rough days — Harley had nightmares more nights than not, and the smallest slip up was oftentimes enough to send her into full blown panic that Pam was going to be displeased. She’d stopped cooking entirely, as Jay had always been displeased with it and the thought made her too anxious. But she was baking again, and Gotham Central had promised her a full ride to their medical school once she felt capable of doing so. She had a new bedroom, one she shared with Pam and that was in a different part of the house from her old one. And she had Lucy. Tiny, delicate Lucy who had been the easiest pregnancy and easiest baby Harley could have ever hoped for so far. If anything was a sign that life was turning around completely, it was her and the gorgeous redhead still holding her and cooing over her.

She couldn’t have been more blessed.


End file.
